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The New York Times Magazine cover story by political correspondent Jim Rutenberg, "A Dream Undone -- Inside the 50-year campaign to roll back the Voting Rights Act," is a 10-part, 10,000-word doorstop (issued with the baleful threat "The first in a series") comparing current attempts to stop voter fraud as a return to Jim Crow, with particular focus on North Carolina. Rutenberg also relayed more Times misinformation about Ronald Reagan's 1980 campaign and his appeal to "states rights" in Mississippi.

Two years ago, Washington Post Magazine “Work Advice” columnist Karla L. Miller lectured at a questioner asking about a trans woman using the women’s room to get over it.

But when a reader complained that her boss was a conservative Christian who listened to conservative talk radio, Miller cited Scripture to suggest the conservative might not be who he claims to be. So Christians might be inauthentic, unlike a man who thinks he's a woman.

Reacting to the news that Jon Stewart and President Obama had secret meetings at the White House, media critic David Zurawik argued that the Daily Show host has become a “tool really of the Obama administration.”

Shakespeare can sleep easy. His reputation as creator of some of the English language's greatest poems is in no danger of being overtaken. At least not by the likes of former Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak, whose "poem" the DNC chose to use in a fund-raising email today.

Rybak's shtick is tweeting out his doggerel. His poem, if such it can be called, can be read after the break. Rybak is a guy, by the way, who thinks Cheney-shoot-you-in-the-face cracks are cool.

During a conversation with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd conceded that, like police, journalists will protect each other from criticism no matter what.

Are you a professional comedian or someone who just wants to entertain your friends by doing a Donald Trump impression? Well I have huge news for you. HUUGE!!!

Voice impressionist Eric Harthen has produced a How To video for folks wanting to do an impression of The Donald. This instructional video will probably come in handy right after this Thursday's presidential debate among the Repulican candidates. Harthen's video explains how to position your mouth with pronounced bottom front teeth while talking. In addition, he covers the proper decibel level of the voice. Finally, don't forget to get the correct Queens borough (not guttural Bronx) accent correct when doing the impression.

During a recent interview on CNN, Univision anchor María Elena Salinas made the bold claim that her network’s news coverage is "fair and balanced." The credibility of Salinas’ claim, however, is seriously undermined by the network’s recent track record covering U.S. political news.

Arthur Chu, best known as one of the all-time biggest money-winners on Jeopardy!, is also a writer who frequently contributes to Salon. In a Thursday article, Chu saluted departing Daily Show host Jon Stewart for, among other things, keeping him sane during his college days. Unfortunately, recalled Chu, back then America as a whole had lost its mind.

Meanwhile, in the August issue of Vanity Fair, James Wolcott gave props to Stewart for “all that he’s been through on our behalf, subjecting himself to a radiation bombardment of mostly right-wing idiocy."

Liberals are already getting verklempt over Jon Stewart retiring from The Daily Show. On the front of Sunday’s Arts & Style section of The Washington Post, the headline is “Shrug it off. John would want it that way.”

“The longer the run and more devoted the fan base, the louder the wails,” proclaimed TV critic Hank Stuever as “Jon Stewart’s incomparable, culturally significant run as the host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show cuts deeper than the usual sign-off.” His devotees “still speak the language of denial: How can he leave us?”

Lieutenant Clay Higgins, of the St. Landry, Louisiana Parish Sheriff’s Department, delivered a tough video message to a thief who, FNC’s Bret Baier noted, had “targeted his favorite restaurant.” Baier ended his show this past Tuesday night with the “crime stoppers” video Jimmy Fallon had played on the Tonight Show.

In a chat this week with a roomful of TV critics, incoming Daily Show host Trevor Noah upset his liberal audience base by suggesting he’s going to be different than Jon Stewart by hammering less on Fox News Channel in the future.

One liberal complained to The Washington Post: "Isn't that like ignoring the 5000 lbs of Elephant Dung in the Middle of the Room?"

A Los Angeles Times report on Saturday made it sound like disgraced NBC anchor Brian Williams was going to be spread all over the schedule on MSNBC. The headline was “MSNBC opens daytime hours for breaking news; Brian Williams will helm.” Reporter Stephen Battaglio wrote Williams will be "set up at his own anchor desk on the third floor of NBC News headquarters in New York's Rockefeller Center."

Williams, who isn't likely to show up on the air until September, "will be MSNBC's go-to anchor from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the East Coast."

The Ed Show was cancelled along with three other MSNBC shows, and although the entire gang was there for the last episode of The Cycle, and Alex Wagner had a few laughs at the conclusion of her show, Mr. Ed was nowhere to be found. The reason, MSNBC say it was due to “pre-existing scheduling conflicts.” Somehow I don’t believe that.

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